Location: Accra, Ghana
In a significant move to shape the future of research and innovation in Ghana, scientists are coming together to contribute their expertise and insights to a draft charter. Once finalized, this groundbreaking charter has the potential to revolutionize the country’s research and innovation ecosystem, fostering standardization, certification, and conformity assessment.
The draft charter aims to create a symbiotic relationship among product developers, service providers, innovators, researchers, regulators, and other critical industry players. Through this collaboration, the charter seeks to ensure quality, safety, and interoperability in research and innovation, driving excellence and global competitiveness.
At a workshop held in Accra, Associate Professor Marian Asantewah Nkansah, representing the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), emphasized the vital role of Ghana’s research and innovation ecosystem in driving economic growth, job creation, and improved quality of life. The workshop, themed “Advancing Standards and Certification in Research and Innovation: Building a Symbiotic Relationship with Regulators and a Culture of Standards among Researchers and Innovators,” brought together stakeholders from various sectors to discuss ways to strengthen and promote a culture of standards.
Over the years, significant progress has been made in building a vibrant research and innovation ecosystem, thanks to government policies and initiatives such as the Ghana National Science Technology and Innovation Policy and the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda. However, Professor Nkansah highlighted the need for a robust standardization, certification, and conformity assessment system to further enhance the ecosystem’s effectiveness and responsiveness.
Incorporating national and international standards is crucial for ensuring the quality and acceptance of research and innovation outputs. The draft charter holds the potential to reshape the landscape, laying a strong foundation for defacto standards, certification, and conformity assessment embedded in products and services produced by researchers.
Embracing standards and certification offers numerous benefits to Ghana’s ecosystem, including increased competitiveness of products in the global market and enhanced reputation for excellence and reliability. This drive towards international benchmarks contributes to establishing a resilient economy that thrives on good quality products, practices, and tools for local consumption.
The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) fully supports the draft charter, recognizing its timeliness and importance in achieving a resilient economy through adherence to national and international standards. The collaboration between academia, researchers, innovators, industry players, and the Ghana Standards Authority will pave the way for wealth creation and sustainable growth.
As Ghana continues its journey toward becoming a leader in research and innovation, the draft charter serves as a guiding light, illuminating the path to excellence and global recognition. Together, we stand at the precipice of transformative change, leveraging standards and certification to unlock the full potential of Ghana’s research and innovation endeavors.
Source: Graphic Business